Can you see the Dirt?

Earlier this week I was having a conversation with a friend about where we would meet to discuss a few ministry items. She said well “we could meet at one of our homes.” I looked at her and said “Not mine, I haven’t cleaned in weeks! Let’s meet at your house, it’s always clean.”

The reality is I will always say my house isn’t clean. When I visit the homes of my friends I often think their house is much cleaner than mine! You see, when I look at my home I know where the dirt lies hidden. I know the closets that still need cleaning out or the junk drawers that are about to overflow. I know the last time I took time to move all the furniture to sweep the floors. So when I see my house these are the things I see.

This morning, as I was cleaning I began to think about my comment to my friend. I imagine she might have thought the same thing about her house. She might have thought her house wasn’t clean because she too knows where all the dirt is. But when I go to her house I come to visit, to encourage her, and to just sit and be in the presence of a friend. I don’t see the dirt she sees because I am not looking for it, I am in her home for her not to judge where her speck of dirt might be.

You know where I am going don’t you? There is a HUGE lesson here – actually there is more than one, but I am only going to share one – the one God impressed upon my heart.

The dirt I see in my house was keeping me from inviting someone into my home. How many times does the “dirt” I see in my heart keep me from inviting people into my life? How many times do I look at someone and think “there heart is cleaner than mine” so I don’t give them the opportunity to know me. And I miss the blessing of knowing them, of sharing my life with them, and of loving them.

Yes it’s true, there are those who only come to judge me and will enter into my home and pick apart what they see that isn’t up to their standards. And yes, it will hurt at times. But I shouldn’t then back away from those who come in to love me. I need to remember that those that come in to judge and pick apart do not really care about me. They are not the ones who, if I ask them, will help me clean the dirt from my heart.

I am thankful for those precious women in my life that have loved me even when I open up my dirty house and instead of judgment I have gotten love. They have wrapped the love of Jesus around me and said “O daughter, come let us work on this together”.

I pray that each of you have at least one relationship that is like this. If you do not then maybe you need to welcome someone in even if you haven’t cleaned in weeks.